


the aches and shakes

by halcyonskies



Series: OTP Challenge [20]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Established Relationship, Human Castiel, Hunter Castiel, Light Angst, Long-Suffering Sam Winchester, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-08-31
Packaged: 2018-08-12 05:30:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7922332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halcyonskies/pseuds/halcyonskies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They're tired, dirty, and still alive. That's pretty much all that matters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the aches and shakes

**Author's Note:**

> 20th Challenge - Appreciation

Dean had barely got in the motel room – had barely dragged his livid bruise of a body over to the bed nearest the door – when he felt a tall, broad body brush hastily past his shoulder. By the time he’d even registered that Sam was standing just inside the bathroom, his little brother was calling back over his shoulder, “I call first shower.”

The door clicked shut on Dean’s indignant expression, but it was only a moment or two before he lost the energy required to stay annoyed. He let out an explosive sigh and collapsed face-first down onto the bed, legs hanging limply off the edge of the mattress. He was quietly breathing in the scent of generic detergent and Febreze when he felt the bed dip gently down alongside him.

About a minute after the  _ vrrp  _ of a zipper, somebody tsked. “Dean, do you have an extra toothbrush? I can’t find mine.”

Dean turned his head so that he could talk without getting a mouthful of bedding. “Why the hell would I bring an extra toothbrush on a hunt?”

Despite the awkward angle, Cas’ unimpressed look was easy to pick out against the yellow light of the bedside lamp. Dean held his eye for a few stubborn moments, then relented with a groan. He waved a hand in the direction of the front door, where he’d dropped his bag as soon as he’d made it past the threshold. 

“There’s one in the side pocket.”

“Thank you.”

Eventually Dean managed to heave himself to his feet and discard all of his filthy overclothes, moving slowly enough that he didn’t aggravate the blisters or welts or the hundred new knots in his back. He laid down properly on the bed, watching Cas set up for his turn in the shower with glazed eyes. 

“What are you thinking about?” 

Dean blinked groggily across the room at him. Inevitably, his eyes were drawn to the fresh bruise snaking its way over Cas’ chest, an angry violet so deep that Dean could almost feel the throb of it from where he was lying. Thankfully, that was the worst of it, though that fact didn’t really make Dean feel any better about seeing it. For all that Cas could (and had) hold his own in a fight, there was always that insidious little voice in the back of Dean’s mind that reminded him that there would be no more miracle mojo to save Cas if ever he got into a scrap he couldn’t win. Every new bump and scrape made that harder to forget.

“Just . . . ready to be home. Miss my memory foam.”

“Uh-huh.” Despite his knowing look, Cas didn’t say anything more on the subject. He situated himself inside of Dean’s space instead, shoving at Dean’s shoulder until he finally budged over and allowed the other to crawl onto the remaining space of the bed. 

Unable to impart just how grateful he was for Cas (as per usual), Dean readily accepted his lapful of gritty bedhead. He buried his fingers in Cas’ hair, tugging at the strands teasingly when the other hummed appreciatively. 

“Just like a cat.”

“Except you aren’t allergic to me.”

“Well, sometimes I wonder–”

Sam chose that moment to bustle back in, little droplets of water creating damp patches on his shirt. He shot the both of them a look of pure, wrinkle-nosed disgust, the kind of look only family can really pull off. 

“Shower’s free. And  _ no,  _ you can’t take one together. I ran out of brain bleach this morning.”

“C’mon, Sammy, you’re all environmentally conscious and shit.” Dean could feel the shark teeth of his own grin. “Showering together saves a  _ bunch  _ of water.”

“What you guys do in a shower is  _ not  _ saving water.”

“He has a point,” Cas muttered; Dean pinched his hip, ignoring the sniggers.

Though his aching joints practically screamed at him to take advantage of the bathroom before the second shower used up all the hot water, Dean found himself inclined to offer it up to Cas instead. Before he could get the words out, though, Cas shifted away.

“Go on, Dean. Just be ready to accept cold feet later on.”

“The things I do for love,” Dean groused, before smiling goofily and pressing a kiss to Cas’ prickly cheek. 

“Actually, I change my mind,” Sam piped up. “Go ahead and shower together, ‘cause I think what I just witnessed was way worse than anything you might get up to in there.”


End file.
